Issue
Our Integrated Telecom Company customer wished to develop its fiber infrastructure in order to meet the FTTH penetration objectives set by the Saudi regulator in the context of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic plan
The aim of the project is to connect 640 000 households in 5 major geographic areas to the fiber throughout the deployment of 22 000 km of fiber.
Our client’s challenges were of various natures:
- Have the appropriate internal skills necessary to deliver a project of this size.
- Reassure the Saudi regulator about its ability to deliver the expected results on time whereas the set targets were very ambitious and the deadline very short
- Select the right partners,
- Manage the equipment supply logistics (cables/ technical cabinets/ splitters …)
Our customer called on Sofrecom to ensure the design and creation of the network, the evaluation and selection of partners and the deployment supervision, in conformance with the time requirements set by the regulator, and the respect of international standards.
Our experts had 4 main missions to conduct:
- Define the technical specifications
- Collect data and design the FTTH network
- Supervise and monitor the deployment
- Document all the check points
Methodology
The project being already initiated, the first step consisted in analyzing the existing situation (current process, data already collected, local skills …) and leveling the engineering rules by setting up a single repository (engineering rule, acceptance condition, security rule …). This repository has been updated and shared regularly with all the players of the project.
Our experts offered then to create industrialized plans by relying on the Comsof Fibre tool which helps optimize the design of a network, its cost, as well as the design time.
Our engineers have also developed a tool allowing for the optimization of data collection (digitization of plans, data control ….), and reporting.
The size of the project and the quantity of information collected daily (more than a million pictures taken only during the original investigations), and the detailed monitoring of more than 120 projects simultaneously), has necessitated the control of efficient processes based on an adapted information system.
Our teams have then assessed and selected the subcontractors. They supervised all deployments.
During this phase, Sofrecom committed to the following points:
- Making sure that execution and material were complying with design and engineering rules
- Making a daily report on the project’s progress in order to manage the deadline for our customer to respect its commitment towards the regulator
- Adopting continuously to the design modifications.
- Adapting the device to manage the numerous difficulties encountered in the field (residents’ complaints …).
The sanitary crisis has also required increased vigilance from the project manager to watch and ensure full compliance with the security and health rules.
Result
This Fiber project, 1st project of this scale for our customer, helped it undertake an internal transformation and adapt its organization. It allowed the customer to create a new positioning and gain legitimacy towards the kingdom regulator. The deployment strategy that our team set up helped it be the 1st to get all acceptance certificates.
Our client expressed the factors for the project success:
« The main success factors were the provision of an efficient reporting tool and the selection of the right partners and subcontractors. »
« The optimization performed then on design represented between 30 and 35% savings on CAPEX thanks to the reduction in size of micro trench / design automation /and reporting tool.
« Sofrecom and its partners have of course strongly contributed to the skill transfer to our young population and to the development of their competence. »
